Read Online Deadly Night: Jenni and Katie's Untold Tale: A Short Story From the As The World Dies Universe (As The World Dies Untold Tales Book 4) by Rhiannon Frater - Free Book Online
Authors: Rhiannon Frater
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hesitated. Katie waited, her hand with the pistol dangling at her side.
“This is all so damn hard,” Alan mumbled, then timidly stepped into the light. His beard and hair were shaggy from months of neglect and gave him the appearance of a wild man, but his sorrowful eyes were kind. Battered, bruised, and bleeding from several bites on his arm, he stared at the two women. “We were so close to rescue, but we didn’t know.”
“It’s not your fault,” Katie said reassuringly. If only the fort hadn’t been blacked out on purpose, Alan, his kids, and his friends may have reached safety together.
Jenni was silent, but Katie sensed she was fuming. Not at Alan, but the universe.
Drawing a battered wallet out of his jeans, Alan held it out to Katie. “It has photos of me, the kids...their mother. When this all went to shit, I wrote them a letter and put it inside, too. I knew that if I was dead, they probably would be too, but I wanted to tell them how much I love them.”
“I understand.” Katie slid the wallet into her back pocket.
“Please tell Julie that she’s been one of the best friends a man could ever have. She’s been like a sister to me in the bad times, and I know she’ll take good care of my kids.” Tears streamed down Alan’s face. “She’s good people. Please make sure she’s treated right.”
“You have my promise,” Katie replied.
In the dimmed lights of the pickup, Alan looked pale, sickly, and almost like a zombie already. Katie flashed back to Lydia and the moment Katie had fled instead of killing the thing her wife had become. Regret was a heavy, ugly leech on her soul.
“Anything else?” Katie asked.
Alan shook his head. “No, just that you make it qui-”
Katie lifted the gun and fired.
“It’s not fair,” Jenni muttered angrily.
“No,” Katie agreed, “it’s not.”
Chapter 10
It was anti-climactic returning to the fort. Jenni sat in the passenger seat scowling at the zombies staggering toward the fort lights while Katie drove in silence. When they reached the wall, it was apparent that the runners were all dead and only the sluggish zombies remained in greatly diminished numbers. Several construction workers were using long poles to push the zombies away from the wall to keep them from piling up.
It was easier than Jenni expected to get back inside. Katie parked far from the gated entrance to avoid several pockets of the undead. One of the sentries lowered a ladder, and it only took seconds for the two women to scramble over.
That Juan and Travis were waiting with Nerit for them wasn’t a surprise. Their disapproving looks were also not unexpected. Jenni knew she was in trouble, but didn’t care. Once it had been revealed that her mission to save the father of the children was a failure, Jenni had fallen into a deep funk. The earlier rush of adrenaline was gone, leaving her feeling tired.
“Did you find them?” Nerit asked.
“Yes,” Katie answered. “One was dead. We took care of the other one. He was bitten.”
“Shit,” Juan uttered under his breath.
“Sorry to hear it,” Travis said, his eyes on Katie.
Jenni sensed something was forming between the two, but it confused her. Maybe Katie didn’t just like girls but maybe liked men, too. Jenni hoped that was the case since all the other women in the fort were straight. She didn’t like the idea of Katie being alone forever.
“How’s Julie and the kids?” Katie stood with her hands on her hips, clearly weary and saddened from the night’s events.
“Clear. No bites. Just the flu.” Nerit sighed. “I guess that’s the one good thing, huh?”
“I’m going to go see her then. I have a message for her,” Katie said, dragging the man’s wallet out of her pocket and slapping it lightly against her palm. “I might as well get this over with.”
Jenni attempted to escape with Katie, but Juan caught her arm. Staring down at her, he rubbed her arm. “You’re covered in
“This is all so damn hard,” Alan mumbled, then timidly stepped into the light. His beard and hair were shaggy from months of neglect and gave him the appearance of a wild man, but his sorrowful eyes were kind. Battered, bruised, and bleeding from several bites on his arm, he stared at the two women. “We were so close to rescue, but we didn’t know.”
“It’s not your fault,” Katie said reassuringly. If only the fort hadn’t been blacked out on purpose, Alan, his kids, and his friends may have reached safety together.
Jenni was silent, but Katie sensed she was fuming. Not at Alan, but the universe.
Drawing a battered wallet out of his jeans, Alan held it out to Katie. “It has photos of me, the kids...their mother. When this all went to shit, I wrote them a letter and put it inside, too. I knew that if I was dead, they probably would be too, but I wanted to tell them how much I love them.”
“I understand.” Katie slid the wallet into her back pocket.
“Please tell Julie that she’s been one of the best friends a man could ever have. She’s been like a sister to me in the bad times, and I know she’ll take good care of my kids.” Tears streamed down Alan’s face. “She’s good people. Please make sure she’s treated right.”
“You have my promise,” Katie replied.
In the dimmed lights of the pickup, Alan looked pale, sickly, and almost like a zombie already. Katie flashed back to Lydia and the moment Katie had fled instead of killing the thing her wife had become. Regret was a heavy, ugly leech on her soul.
“Anything else?” Katie asked.
Alan shook his head. “No, just that you make it qui-”
Katie lifted the gun and fired.
“It’s not fair,” Jenni muttered angrily.
“No,” Katie agreed, “it’s not.”
Chapter 10
It was anti-climactic returning to the fort. Jenni sat in the passenger seat scowling at the zombies staggering toward the fort lights while Katie drove in silence. When they reached the wall, it was apparent that the runners were all dead and only the sluggish zombies remained in greatly diminished numbers. Several construction workers were using long poles to push the zombies away from the wall to keep them from piling up.
It was easier than Jenni expected to get back inside. Katie parked far from the gated entrance to avoid several pockets of the undead. One of the sentries lowered a ladder, and it only took seconds for the two women to scramble over.
That Juan and Travis were waiting with Nerit for them wasn’t a surprise. Their disapproving looks were also not unexpected. Jenni knew she was in trouble, but didn’t care. Once it had been revealed that her mission to save the father of the children was a failure, Jenni had fallen into a deep funk. The earlier rush of adrenaline was gone, leaving her feeling tired.
“Did you find them?” Nerit asked.
“Yes,” Katie answered. “One was dead. We took care of the other one. He was bitten.”
“Shit,” Juan uttered under his breath.
“Sorry to hear it,” Travis said, his eyes on Katie.
Jenni sensed something was forming between the two, but it confused her. Maybe Katie didn’t just like girls but maybe liked men, too. Jenni hoped that was the case since all the other women in the fort were straight. She didn’t like the idea of Katie being alone forever.
“How’s Julie and the kids?” Katie stood with her hands on her hips, clearly weary and saddened from the night’s events.
“Clear. No bites. Just the flu.” Nerit sighed. “I guess that’s the one good thing, huh?”
“I’m going to go see her then. I have a message for her,” Katie said, dragging the man’s wallet out of her pocket and slapping it lightly against her palm. “I might as well get this over with.”
Jenni attempted to escape with Katie, but Juan caught her arm. Staring down at her, he rubbed her arm. “You’re covered in
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